(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display using a biaxial liquid crystal and a driving method thereof.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (“LCDs”) are one of the most widely used flat panel displays, and an LCD includes a pair of panels provided with field-generating electrodes, such as pixel electrodes and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal (“LC”) layer interposed between the two panels. The LCD displays images by applying voltages to the field-generating electrodes to generate an electric field in the LC layer that determines the orientations of LC molecules therein to adjust polarization of incident light.
In general, the LCD is manufactured using uniaxial liquid crystal. The uniaxial liquid crystal has a characteristic that the refractive index values of two axes directions among three axes directions are the same, but the refractive index value of the remaining axis direction (this is referred to as an optical axis in the uniaxial liquid crystal) is different from the refractive index value of the other two axes.
Retardation of light passing through the liquid crystal is different according to axis directions due to the differences of the refractive indexes, and as a result the components of the polarization of the light are changed. On the other hand, the arrangement of the liquid crystal is changed according to the electric field such that the electric field is controlled to control the components of the polarization of passed light.
When using the uniaxial liquid crystal, two values of the refractive index are considered such that it is easy to control the components of the polarization of the light by controlling the electric field.
However, when using the uniaxial liquid crystal, because the liquid crystal material used in the liquid crystal display is limited, it is also difficult to manufacture various types of LCDs.